Spooling-machine.



PATBNTED NOV. 12, 1907.

No: 870,767. R. J. EMORY.

SPOOLING MACHINE. ArrxlmA'non rum) mm. 11, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

" Mn mam PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907..

3. J. EMORY.-

SPOOLING MACHINE. APPLIOATIOII IILBD FEB. 11, 1907.

2 BHEBTSBHERT 2.

tmeooca UNITED STATES PATENT oEFroE.

ROBERT'J. EMORY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT J. EMoRY & COMPANY,

1 F NEWARK, NEW ERSEY, A COPARTNERSHIP.

- SPOOLING-MACHINE 'New Jersey, have invented a new anduseful Improvementin Spo0ling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

- This invention relates to spooling machines, and

more particularly tomachines for spooling wire.

, The primary object of the invention is to produce a Wire-spooling machine provided with simple, reliable and readily adjustable devices for automatically reversing the traverse mechanism and with means for automatically varying both the rate of rotation of the is had to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by similar characters of reference in the several views: Figure 1 is a view in vertical longitudinal section on the plane .11. of Fig. 2.. Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section on the planes indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view below the line 33 of Fig. 1 of a portion of the traverse mechanism showing the arrangement of the feed screws and double half nut on the traverse carriage. Fig. 4 is another detail viewv of the traverse mechanism; partly in elevation and partly in section on the line 4-4 of 3. Fig. 5 is another detail view of the-traverse mechanism at the plane indicated by the line 55 in Fig. 1.

Described in general terms, the improved spooling machine comprises guiding devices for the wire by which kinks ,and loops are straightened out, traverse mechanism for imparting reciprocatorymovement to the guiding devices along a path parallel to the axis of the winding spool, devices whereby the length of the reciprocatory movement of the guiding devices may be quickly and easily varied, a rotatable spool support, driving devices for the spool support, and mechanism for automatically varying the speed of the driving devices'as the quantity of wire on the spool increases.

The framework of the machine, which may be of any suitableidesign, is designated generally as 1. At the rear of this framework are provided a pair of fixed guide" rods or bars 2 from which is suspended a carriage 3 for 'the traverse mechanism of the machine.

Arranged above the carriage 3 and supported thereon are wireguiding devices designated generally as 4 and comprising a plurality of grooved rollers 5 which serve the double function of guiding the .wire to the winding -spool andstraightening out kinks or loops before the wireis wound on the spool. The wire 6 passes to the Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 11' 1907- Serial No. 356.879-

two screws are rotated in opposite directions.

PatentedNov. 12,1907;

grooved guide rolls 5 from any convenient source of supply and from the guide rolls 5 goes directly to the spool 7 which is mounted on a driving spindle 8 turning in suitable bearing brackets 9 at the front of the 'machine. Y

The traverse mechanism by which the guiding devices are reciprocated is illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5. This mechanism comprises means for imparting positive movement to the carriage 3 in both directions parallel to the axis of the winding spool, means for automatically reversing the movement of the carriage at each end of its path, and means for varying the length of the path traversed. The carriage propulsion devices consist of two screws 10 and 11 extending transversely of the machine between the guide bars 2 and provided with intermeshing pinions 12 by which the Mounted on the body of the carriage 3 in a transverse dovetail guide slot is a block 13 provided on top with a double half nut 14 provided on opposite sides with threads adapted to engage with the adjacent screws 10 and 11. The double half nut 14 is of such dimensions that when, one of its threaded faces is in engagement with the screw 10 the other is out of engagement with the screw 11, as shown in Fig. 3, but a comparatively slight lateral movement of the block 13 will throw the double half nut out of engagement with the screw 10 and into engagement with the screw' 11. The effect of such lateral movement of the block 13 is, of course, to reverse the direction of movement imparted to the double half nut and associated strpctures by the screw. On the under side of the block 13 and extending downwardly into a chamber 15 in the under side of the carriage 3 is a boss 16 which is provided with two slots 17 and 18 parallel to the screws 10 and 11. The boss 16 is disposed between two curved fingers 19 andj20 mounted on a slide 21 which is carried by the carriage 3 and is arranged for movement transversely of the machine in parallel relation to the carriage 3. The curved fingers 19 and 20 are oppositely arranged and each is pivoted at one end, as shown in Fig. 5, and each hasits free normally in contact with steps 22 by which their inward pivotal movement is limited. The fingers 19 and 20 are placed equidistant from an upstanding blade 23 in the middle of the slide 21 which is adapted to engage either of the slots formed in the under side of the, boss 16.

The operation of the mechanism just described is substantially as follows: When the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5 the double half nut 14 is in engagement with the screw 11 and the carriage 3 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5. During the greater part of this movement,

' the slide 21 moves with the carriage and the double half nut is held in engagement with the screw 11 by the blade 23 and the boss 16, the blade 23 being in the slot 17 as shown in Fig. 5 and the boss lying in contact with the curved finger 20. As the carriage 3 nears the end of its path, however, the slide 21 comes in.

tirely clear of the blade 23 which is fixed upon the slide., This continued movement of the boss forces the curved finger out of its normal position by the engagement of the boss with the curved free end of the finger, thus puttir. g the springs 21 under additional tension. As soon, therefore, as the boss 16 clears the blade 23 the tension of the springs 21* upon the finger intermediate gear 27 serving as transmission devices. j

20 forces it back to its normal position and it impels the boss16 and the-block 13 transversely across the carriage 3 until the boss occupies the position shown in. dotted lines in Fig. 5-and the double half nut 14 is brought into engagement with the screw 10. The effect of the engagement of the double half nut with the screw 10 is to reverse itsdirection of movement transversely of the machine, and, as the double half nut advances, it carries 'with it the boss 16 which moves over the slide 21' until the blade 23. has entirely entered the slot 18 and the boss'l6 has encountered the curved portion of the finger 19. When the boss reaches this position, the slide 21 begins to move with the carriage 3 and this movement continues until the slide encounters the stop screw 25 which is arranged directly opposite the stop screw 24 above mentioned. The engagement of'the slide 21 with the stop screw 25 brings. about a series of operations the converse of those resulting from engagementwith the stop screw 24, and as a result of these operations the double half nut 14 is again shifted-laterally into engagement with the screw 11 and the movement of the traverse carriage is reversed. The pathover which the traverse carriage travels is determined, as will be evident,

"from the position of the stop screws 24 and 25, and

by simply adjusting the position of these screws the movement of the traverse carriage at each reciprocation may be made longer or shorter, as desired: Motion is imparted to the feed screws for the traverse carriage from the spindle 8 upon which the winding spool is mounted, the pinion 26 on the spool and the The rotations of the feed screws must, therefore, always bear the saine relation to the rotations of the spindle 8, thus insuring proper distribution of the ,wire

on the spool.

' The driving mechanism for the winding spool constiis transmitted from the disk 33 to the disk 34, the roller 35 being provided with leather, rawhide, or other suitable Wear-resisting and-friction-producing material upon its periphery. The roller 35 is mounted on a short shaft 36 arranged at right angles to the shafts 31 and 32 and .between. the disks 33 and 34. The shaft 36 turns in brackets 37 and 38 supported on a guide rod 39 by antifriction rollers 40. The two brackets 37 and 38, being connected by theshaft 36, form a carriage which may be moved to and fro on the guide rod 39, and movement is imparted to the carriage by a bent lever 41 and a link- 42 forming an adjustable connection between the lever and an upward extension from the bracket 38. The le- 1 winding operation is begun the roller 43 is brought into contact with the spool and the roller 35 between the two. disks 31 and33 is forced away from the center of the driving disk 33 and toward the center of the driven disk 31. As the winding operation progresses the increasing diameter of the wire upon the spool forces the roller 43 outward from the axis of the spool and. thereby imparts a slow rocking movement to the lever 41 which is communicated to the transmission roller 35, causing the transmission roller to move gradually toward the center of the driving disk and toward the periphery of the driven disk. This movement of the transmission roller 35 is, of course, productive of a gradual reduction in the speed of rotation of the winding spool. r i

v The advantage resulting from the gradual reduction of the speed of rotation of the winding spool as the winding operation progresses is to greatly increase the capacity of the machine for spooling wire. custom has been to provide driving mechanism for the winding spool by which the winding spool was rotated throughout the entire winding operation at the maximum speed permissible at the end of the winding operation when the amount of wire wound on the spool at each rotation is from three to ten times as great as that Heretofore, the

the winding operation. Consequently, the rate of wind ing up to the final stages was necessarily slower than it was desirable to make it, and the amount of wire wound in a given time much less than can be wound if the winding spool is rotated at a very high speed during the early stages of the winding operation and the speed gradually reduced as the winding operation progresses until the speed at the close of the winding operation is the maximum speed permissible at that stage of the operation I While only one embodiment of the invention has been a described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be obvious that various modifications in the t details of the spooling machine may be made without sacrificing any of its advantages or departing from the spirit of the invention, and I.do not, therefore, limit.

myself to the exact structure shown and described, but f stave? fume the'rig htto make such alterations therein to v meet special conditions as may fall within the scope of mounted on said carriageand independently movable 'in lines parallel to the carriage movement, devices on said slide for shifting said double half nut at predetermined points in the carriage travel, to move it out of engagement with one of said screws and into engagement with the other, and means for holding said double half nut in engagement with one of said feed screws between said predetermined points.

2. In spooling apparatus, traverse mechanism comprising a reciprocating carriage, a pair of constantly rotating feed screws adapted to impart movements in opposite directions, to said carriage, a double half nut'siidably mounted on said carriage between said screws, a slide mounted on said carriage and independently movable in lines parallel tovthe carriage movement, devices on said slide for'shifting said double half nut at predetermined points in the carriage travel to move it out of engagement with one-of said screws and into engagement with the.

other, arid-adjustable stops to limit the movement of said slidewith said carriage.

3. In spooling apparatus, the combination with a traverse carriage-and guides on which said carriage is arranged to, move to and fro, of two oppositely-threaded and 1 constantly-rotated feed'screws to impart movement to the carriage, a slide mounted on the carriage and independentiy movable longitudinally thereof, two half 'nuts mounted on said carriage and shlftable transversely thereof, to bring one or the other half nut intoengagement with the corresponding feed screw, stops to limit themovement of sald'slide, and devices mounted on said slide for shifting said half 'nuts after the engagement of the slide with either of the stops which limit its movement. g g

4. Inrspooiing. apparatus, the combination with a trav erse carriage and guides on which the carriage is arranged to moveto and fro, of carriage-operating mechanism comprising two oppositely-threaded feed screws and two half fnuts arranged to cooperate therewith, only onevof said half nuts being susceptible off-engagement. with its cooperating feed screw at any time, a support for said halfnuts mounted on said carriage and arranged for sliding movement transversely thereof, said support having a boss formed thereon, a slide mounted on said carriage and susceptible of longitudinal movement relatively to the carriage, said slide having a blade or lug adapted normally to engage said boss and prevent lateral movement of the support for said half nuts, stops to limit the movement of said slide with said carriage, and devices mounted on the slide and operative upon the boss after the engagement of the slide with either of its stops to shift laterally the support for the half nuts and move one of said half nuts out of engagement with the corresponding feed screw and to move the other half nut into engagement with the other feed screw.

5. In spooling apparatus, the combination with a traverse carriage and guides therefor, of carriage propelling mechanism adapted to impart movement to the carriage in either of two opposite directions, and reversing mechanism for the carriage comprising a slide mounted on the carriage and susceptible of longitudinal movementrelatively thereto, a member also mounted on the carriage and arranged for movement transversely thereof, stops to limit the movement of the slide, and devices mounted on the slide and operative after engagement of the slide with either of its stops to impart lateral movement to the said member.

6. In spooling apparatus, the combination with a spindie and driving mechanism therefor, of traverse mechanism comprising a carriage, means adapted to reciprocate said carriage, a slide mounted on .the carriage but susceptible of limited independent movement in the direction of the carriage travel, means actuated by the independent movement of the slide for reversing the direction of the carriage travel, said traverse mechanism being driven by the spindle driving-mechanism at a rate proportional to the rate of rotation of the spindle, and speed-changing devices controlled by the accumulation of material on the spool whereby the rate of rotation of the spindle and the rate of movement of the traverse mechanism are both gradually decreased from the beginning to the end of the spooling operation. .a t h 7. In spooling apparatus, the combination with a' spindie, of a traverse mechanism cooperating therewith, said traverse mechanism comprising a carriage, means adapted .to reciprocate said carriage, a slide mounted on the carriage and capable of independent movement longitudinally thereof, means actuated by the independent longitudinal movement of the slide to reverse the direction of the carriage travel, means for driving said spindle and traverse mechanism comprising a rotating driving member, means for varying the speed of rotation of said member controlled by the accumulation of material on the spool, a driving connection between, said spindle and said driving member, a gear carried by said spindle, an idler gear in mesh therewith, and adriving gear carried by said traverse mechanism and in mesh with said idler.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

' ROBERT J. EMORY.

Witnesses: A

Tnos. J. MAGUIBE, F. H.'McLnaN. 

